Connecting with Faculty Led Gabrielle (Samson) Reynolds ’17 to

Thu, 10/30/2025 - 12:00

By Judith Kelliher

The connections Marketing major Gabrielle (Samson) Reynolds ’17 made with her business professors at Springfield College continue to have an impact on her today. As a commuter, she spent a lot of time in Locklin Hall between classes since she didn’t have a residence hall to go to. During those breaks, she was able to really get to know her professors as people and not just teachers.

“My best friend and I would often look forward to hanging out in the lounge area, studying together, and connecting with our professors, asking questions, and getting any additional help we needed,” she said. “My professors were so supportive, kind, and caring. There are so many I still think about today and feel grateful to have learned from them.”

In particular, Reynolds credits her bond with then-associate professor of Business Management Brenda Canning with launching her career. After graduation, Canning recommended Reynolds for an internship at Wellfleet, a health insurance company based in Springfield, Mass. The internship was so successful that Reynolds was hired full time, and has been a key member of the marketing team for eight years. She is currently the marketing manager of the Student Health Division.

“Brenda, among many others, was a great leader and professor. She looked out for her students, wanted to see them succeed, and went above and beyond for them,” Reynolds said. “She’s someone I was happy to have on my side. I’m so grateful to her that I got my internship and for her constant support throughout my time at Springfield College.”

At Wellfleet, the work Reynolds handles on a daily basis is fast-paced and covers a lot of areas. From running campaigns with a goal to increase brand awareness and/or driving sales, to building website landing pages, managing social media, planning events, and so much in between, Reynolds says, there is never a dull moment.

“The best part of my role is campaign management and oversight. I love the ability to see a campaign through from ideation to results and then assess and tweak what we do next time,” she said. “There is a lot of trial and error, and not everything is a ‘win.’ Sometimes, you totally fall on your face! But you definitely learn something new every time and that’s what I love about it.”

Reynolds sees marketing as an ever-evolving industry. She believes there’s always something new to learn, a new algorithm to understand, a new A/B test to try out, and a new platform to solve everything. But it’s the hard work one chooses to put into their role that remains constant.

If Reynolds has any advice for students interested in a career in marketing, it’s to take the time while at Springfield College to network with the many companies in western Massachusetts that could lead to an internship or a job after college.

“It can be overwhelming for sure, but it’s why learning as much as you can while in college and networking is so important. There are so many roles and career paths under the marketing umbrella, and I don’t see that changing,” she said. “This is a great field for those who love to continuously learn and grow and are able to roll with changes as they come.”